Christian Caliandro on the Fragility and Precariousness of the 21st Century

In an essay on Artribune, art historian Christian Caliandro (born 1979) reflects on the defining characteristics of the 21st century, drawing on a poem by Patrizia Cavalli and a passage from Goffredo Parise's novel "L'odore del sangue" (1979-1986; published 1997). Caliandro argues that a generation has been diverted from its course, with many professionals now working in fields different from their training. He posits that the 21st century elevates precariousness to a fundamental and permanent structure of life, experienced not only as tragic collective humiliation and social injustice but also as a horizon and point of view on the world. He introduces the concept of fragility—natural and human—as a nearly invisible cultural datum that periodically reemerges, citing Parise's description of a stupa engulfed by vegetation in a forest. Caliandro contrasts two discordant levels of contemporary society: an official, mainstream, vulgar, and noisy level, versus a subterranean, subdued, ghostly, dark, rich, living, organic, small, resistant, hard, soft, fleshy one. He teaches art history at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and is a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Fondazione per le Qualità italiane.